Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that special education and related services be made available free of charge to every eligible child with a disability, including preschoolers (ages 3-21). So, if you find yourself teaching in a school district that implements inclusion in their classrooms, you as a general education teacher need to make sure that these services are available to your special education students and that they are followed through.
In the 2003-2004 school year, more than 484,000 students diagnosed with emotional impairments received special education services to address their individual needs.
Depending on the grade level you end up teaching, students with emotional impairments (and all other special education students) will have hopefully undergone Early Intervention processes. This means that when a child is preschool age or younger and shows signs of possible developmental delays, preventative actions will have taken place to counter these delays. Dr. George Giuliani from Hofstra University speaks on this topic.
As a new teacher, one of the biggest challenges you will face will be learning how to accommodate every single child in your classroom. Not only do you have to make sure your general education students are learning everything, but if you teach in an included classroom, you will also be responsible for special education students as well. Because of this, it is important to be familiar with the legislation corresponding to teaching special education students.
The following YouTube video (originally aired on the Health Science Channel), called Accommodating Kids with Disabilities, gives us a broad sense of what it means to legally be responsible for providing the appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities.
Tools, Techniques and Strategies to Use When Teaching Emotionally Impaired Students
Find other students in your classroom that know how to work with your EI student for small group assignments, BUT always talk with those students beforehand to see if they would be willing to that day.
Find out what interests your EI student and find ways to incorporate that into daily lessons. This will hopefully keep that student from causing disruptions or outbursts.
Seat your EI student with other students you know he/she can get along with.
Seat your EI student away from areas that will distract him/her; such as windows, classroom door, the computers, etc.
Provide your student with figiting toys; such as silly putty or a squishy ball so he/she can talk unwanted energy out on the toy instead of interjecting throughout lessons.
Set some sort of goal in the class, such as extra time reading, working on computers or library time that will help your EI student have something to work towards.
Designate an area in your classroom as "the office" where your EI student (or any student being distracted by your EI student) can go to work away from everyone else.
For further strategies to try in your classroom, try this website: General Strategies.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that special education and related services be made available free of charge to every eligible child with a disability, including preschoolers (ages 3-21). So, if you find yourself teaching in a school district that implements inclusion in their classrooms, you as a general education teacher need to make sure that these services are available to your special education students and that they are followed through.
In the 2003-2004 school year, more than 484,000 students diagnosed with emotional impairments received special education services to address their individual needs.
Depending on the grade level you end up teaching, students with emotional impairments (and all other special education students) will have hopefully undergone Early Intervention processes. This means that when a child is preschool age or younger and shows signs of possible developmental delays, preventative actions will have taken place to counter these delays. Dr. George Giuliani from Hofstra University speaks on this topic.
As a new teacher, one of the biggest challenges you will face will be learning how to accommodate every single child in your classroom. Not only do you have to make sure your general education students are learning everything, but if you teach in an included classroom, you will also be responsible for special education students as well. Because of this, it is important to be familiar with the legislation corresponding to teaching special education students.
The following YouTube video (originally aired on the Health Science Channel), called Accommodating Kids with Disabilities, gives us a broad sense of what it means to legally be responsible for providing the appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities.
Tools, Techniques and Strategies to Use When Teaching Emotionally Impaired Students
Use boards, magnets and other visuals that develop social skills and self-control: http://www.asperger.net/bookstore_9728.htm
Use point sheets and charts to track individual behavior: http://www.latitudes.org/behavioral_charts.html
Find other students in your classroom that know how to work with your EI student for small group assignments, BUT always talk with those students beforehand to see if they would be willing to that day.
Find out what interests your EI student and find ways to incorporate that into daily lessons. This will hopefully keep that student from causing disruptions or outbursts.
Seat your EI student with other students you know he/she can get along with.
Seat your EI student away from areas that will distract him/her; such as windows, classroom door, the computers, etc.
Provide your student with figiting toys; such as silly putty or a squishy ball so he/she can talk unwanted energy out on the toy instead of interjecting throughout lessons.
Set some sort of goal in the class, such as extra time reading, working on computers or library time that will help your EI student have something to work towards.
Designate an area in your classroom as "the office" where your EI student (or any student being distracted by your EI student) can go to work away from everyone else.
For further strategies to try in your classroom, try this website: General Strategies.